Much like the trends it sets, fashion is a constantly evolving industry. Consumer attitudes towards fashion and retail continue to shift, and it is more important than ever for brands to set themselves apart to ensure their continued success in this changing market.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, we saw fashion brands operating primarily on a digital scale, from relying solely on eCommerce for sales through to utilising the power of influencers and virtual events in place of in-person launches and catwalk shows. Brands who were able to adapt through the pandemic saw their popularity and sales elevate, whilst those that couldn’t struggled and had challenges reaching their target audiences.
Fast-forward to the present and the fashion industry is faced with fresh challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis. A report released towards the end of last year suggested that a quarter of consumers plan to spend less on new cloths amid the economic downturn. Fashion brands are quickly having to adapt to new consumer priorities and will need to think strategically to ensure they have a comprehensive marketing plan that will set them apart in this ever-evolving climate.
Here, we have outlined exactly how a fashion PR campaign can help brands stand out.
Find your identity
It’s important to assess your brand identity and ensure what makes your brand stand out is being communicated authentically with your customer base. Ask yourself what you are trying to achieve with this brand and does your current identity align with your objectives. In order to gain maximum exposure to your customers, you will need to have a crystal-clear vision of your brand identity. PR agencies can help with this process, even before a media relations strategy begins. The creation of messaging houses and tone of voice documents are common practice at the start of any campaign.
Understand your customer
It might sound obvious, but having in-depth insight on your customer base will allow you to effectively target the correct audience and provide offerings that are more relevant for them. Do your customers value sustainability? Are they seeking a strong online community to join? Are they interested in good value or quality fabrics and production? Once you have a clear idea of what your customer values, you can create a fashion PR & marketing strategy that communicates messages that will resonate with them via the channels that they are consuming.
Have a story to tell
Once you have established your brand identity and developed deep insight into your target customer, it is important to ensure your brand story sets you apart from your rivals who are also competing for your audience’s attention. Communicating your brand’s story is an effective way to grow a loyal and engaged customer base. As consumers increasingly become more interested in a brand’s values, and not just the items they produce, PR and Social Media can give you the means to communicate what your brand stands for in a way that aligns with your target audience.
Engage with the right media and influencers
As mentioned above, understanding your customer and having a story to tell is key when you want to communicate with them through media and influencers. Once you have established what they are looking for, it’s time to deliver this through the channels that they are consuming. Working with a PR Agency can provide you with the insight you need regarding which publications your target consumer is reading. Once you have identified what your audience is consuming, it is important that your agency also has the creativity and contacts to get your brand and its story featured in these titles.
As well as traditional media relations, an influencer strategy should also be something that all fashion brands consider. Do your customers engage with influencers? Which influencers will you engage with, why and what will they do? It is important to set clear objectives before approaching influencers in order to have a clear picture of your goals and what you are hoping to achieve. As influencer marketing continues to grow, consumers are becoming savvier and are less likely to engage with inauthentic collaborations and oddly placed content.
You can read more here about the influencer marketing campaign we delivered for fashion brand Kaleidoscope, working with specific influencers on a no-fee basis to help them reach a niche target audience.
Be transparent
Over 90% of consumers say transparency by a brand is important to their purchase decisions. When it comes to fashion, consumers are wanting to make ethical and sustainable choices now more than ever. But to do this, they need know exactly how brands are operating and what they’re doing to help the planet and the people involved in the production process.
Not only will being transparent strengthen your brands reputation, you’ll gain consumer trust and loyalty which will ultimately help to drive sales.
News hijacking
Hijacking the news agenda is a helpful way to get your brand in the spotlight quickly. By ensuring you’re on top of emerging trends in the industry and responding to them quickly can enable your brand to secure comment opportunities in the national media. As a result, this can establish your brand as a thought leader, building credibility and ensuring you stand out from competitors.
Create an event
Events (virtual or in-person) can be a fantastic way to engage with media and influencers. You can get creative with this and create a buzz around your fashion brand in a setting that you design. Allowing media and influencers to have an immersive brand experience will lead to stronger brand loyalty and a deeper relationship with your brand.
If you would like to find out how a fashion PR campaign can help communicate your brand’s story get in touch with our award-winning team today.